COMEDIANS "BHURXE".

It is almost 125 years since the Tiatro was born with the initiative of Lucasinho Ribeiro from  Assagao, Bardez,  the village known for producing great Goans of great caliber. Though Tiatro was born in Bombay yet it created immense impact on Goan society in Goa.  Tiatro and Tiaitrists of yesteryears took up this profession as a challenge not to make money but to bring about changes in Goan society and precisely because of this challenge Tiatros and Tiatrists of those days by using the platform of Konkani Stage succeeded in reducing immensely the curse of dowry, curse of caste system, inequality in society, arrogance of clergy, maltreatment of Mundkars by the Bhattkars, harassment of women and many other curses inflicted by our elders on  our society.  Without the platform of Tiatros and progressive Tiatrists of those days there would never be such a great improvement and change in our society. Because of this positive effect of Tiatros I salute the yesteryears Tiatrists who have done great sacrifices to keep this art moving and alive.

 

 

The early Tiatros were very educative since the early Tiatrists themselves had good character and home discipline in them by their disciplined parents especially by their mothers but within 25 years of its birth Tiatros went into the hands of wrong Tiatrists who were brought up like rowdies.  They converted Konkani Stage as a platform to wash their dirty linen publicly; many used vulagirty and indecency in their terminology and in action because of which decent people stopped patronising Tiatros.  Seeing all this dirt, Joao Agostinho Fernandes who is known as "Pai Tiatrist" for his great contribution in the promotion of Tiatros,  remarked with tears in his eyes, ”It hurts me very much to see this great art of Tiatro formed by Lucasinho Ribeiro and nurtured by me is now sadly gone into the hands of  " 'ROSTAD' Tiatrists”.

 

 

Sadly now again this beautiful art of Tiatro seems to have gone into the hands of cheap and wrong Tiatrists since some of them are using vulgarity in words and in deeds from the Stage.  Regrettably, the major portion of the audience loves this vulgarity indicating how low they are. I started watching Tiatros by sitting on the lap of my mother and according to my observation the Tiatrists who use indecency and vulgarity on the Stage to get cheap prominence from cheap audience are the ones who lack basic discipline at home from proper parentage, basic educational background and basic social background.  For them the world is like a Pond for the Frogs and precisely because of this they bring a bad name for the Tiatros.

 

Unfortunately the so called big writers and directors are reluctant to control this vulgarity performed by the vulgar Tiatrists in their Tiatros. This vulgarity and indecency is performed by the cheap and vulgar comedians mostly by those who carry the prefix as comedian so and so.  Decent audience call these comedians as Comedians "Burxe" who are responsible for lowering the greatness of Tiatros.  They are so weak that as support for their identity they make use of the prefix as Comedians.  The great comedians of yesteryears namely Jacinto Vaz, Anthony Mendes, Kid Boxer, Jepsis Hitler and Greg never identified themselves cheaply with the prefix as comedians.  The yesteryears comedians were not known to be vulgar nor indecent for this reason people still remember them. 

 

 

Because of the vulgarity in Tiatros people started talking ill of Tiatros now and if this vulgar trend does not stop, decent people will stop patronizing Tiatros as it happened earlier.  Earlier to revive the interest in Tiatros to our luck God sent into this world Tiatrists like Minguel Rod who was a genius in this field and because he was so his Tiatros and songs during those days created a sort of revolution on Konkani Stage. Additionally, to woo better audience to Tiatros we had the gift of J.P. Souzalin, Alexinho de Candolim, C. Alvares, Alfred Rose, Nelson Afonso, Prem Kumar, Chris Perry-Lorna and others too.  But now to uplift the degrading standard of Tiatros we will have none of the stalwarts of the type we had in the past.  They are all dead and gone and sadly now it looks the Goan mothers do not possess the wombs to produce great Tiatrists of the type we had in the past.

 

 

 Hence, it is now in the hands of big names on Konkani Stage to control and eradicate the vulgarity and indecency currently enacted by the vulgar Tiatrists. Display of female Brasiers and Panties is not a decent sign, touching the Aerial of the Radio Set to the private part of the male artiste to get range to start the Radio Set is not a decent act and singing songs with double meaning is surely an act of vulgarity at least as per the Goan tradition.  Most of the current directors are at the mercy of Bhurxe comedians to write and perform comedy which has no link with the main story and for this reason they have to close their eyes to the vulgarity in their Tiatros.  Most of the current directors are not full-fledged writers of their Tiatros in the sense that they write the main story, comedy is given in the hands of comedians having no link with the main story and "Cantos" to someone else.  For this reason scripting of too many cheap or mediocre Tiatros in too short a period is possible.  This was not happening with yesteryears directors for this reason they remained as great. They used to take long period to write and stage a Tiatro with a very good quality.  They were all in one and there was nothing rental or borrowing from other artistes.    

 

 

A. Veronica Fernande,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel:7507394349.   

COANS CONDEMN BOMBING IN KUWAIT.

On behalf of Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center that stood by Kuwait strongly during the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and also on behalf of all the like minded Goans who enjoyed the benefits of Kuwait employment, I strongly condemn the brutal bombing of Shia Muslim Mosque in Kuwait City on 27.06.15.  This bombing organized by ISIS thru a Saudi Muslim radical suicide bomber is an act of anti-Islamic policy in the name of Islam.  Thru this type of bombings, ISIS are creating a very bad image of Islam.  ISIS in one way want to promote Islam but on the other hand in the name of promoting of Islam they are committing all sorts of crimes agains innocent Muslims their own brothers in religion.  This is unacceptable.

Islam is a great religion that preaches and promotes peace but many of its promoters like ISIS are doing just the opposite therey giving an opportunity to its enemies to debase Islam and precisely because of this many of the Islamic organisations are looked with suspicion.  Islam forbids suicide killing in the sense it forbids any individual Muslim to kill himself but this suicide bomber killing is just aginst the teachings of Islam.  ISIS and many of the radical Muslim leaders who are thirsty for innocent people blood are doing injustice to their great religion Islam. 

It is time now for the Muslim countries coming under their Islamic union (OIC) to discuss this topic and tone down the fury of Muslim radicals.  Today if Islamic world is suffering it is only because Islamic teachings are misinterpreted by their Muslim leaders and preachers.  Islam is not a harsh and cruel religion, Islam is very compassionate religion and its initiator Prophet Mohammed himself shown by his own deeds how benevolent Islam is.  Today if almost everywhere Islamic terrorism is seen it is because some of the States have supported these terrorism and developed many of the Muslim terrorists in their cradles. 

When Kuwait is burning now we Goans like me who earned our sustenance by working in Kuwait cannot remain as silent spectators.  Hence, once again I condemn the bombing of Shia Muslm Mosque in Kuwait and pray to God to keep Kuwait safe and also our Goan brothers and sisters working in Kuwait.

 A.  Veronica Fernandes,
For GOA - KUWAIT SOLIDARITY CENTER,
Goa.
Tel: 7507394349

     

GOA - INDIA - PONDICHERY - MACAO.

A few years preceding the invasion and conquest of Goa by Nehru’s "serkar" (I say conquest because according to the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, on 19^th December 1961, Goa was conquered by India.  Hence, the word Liberation is wrong), especially during the tenure of last Portuguese Governador Vassalo e Silva, Goa was booming and flourishing with all round development.  Common man was happy because Vassalo e Silva introduced lot of developmental changes in Goa.  To give a sense of dignity to the students he stopped corporal punishment in schools for the students.  Earlier, teachers were thrashing the students like Buffalos especially if the student is coming from low category.   To spread education to all the segments of Goan society especially for the socially lower rung students, he made primary education in Portuguese compulsory for all children attaining the age of six, of course free of charge. And those who wanted to pursue higher professional education in Portugal, educational loan facilities were given to the students by the Goa government.  To spread the gospel of education, he issued order to build Portuguese Primary Schools in every village. His wish was to make every Goan adequately educated.  Then, after creating appropriate climate, he gave a call to Gulf Goans willing to return to Goa for job, to come back with a promise to provide them with the necessary employment in Goa, for English educated in the Mining sector and for Portuguese educated in the government departments.  Heeding this call some Goans working at Qatar Oil Company left their jobs, returned to Goa and got employed in Goa.

Then he embarked on creating avenues for Goans to get employment especially for the Portuguese educated Goans and this move was making a very good progress. Then he made easy availability thru market reforms, of the goods and commodities for the common man like two and four wheelers and electronic gadgets.  Expensive and luxury goods started flowing into the hands of common man.  The prices of food items were brought down thru his personal intervention so that common man could afford best of food. To check the prices of food items, in Panjim market as a common "Paklo" he was moving all by himself in civilian dress.  Agriculture was given a strong boost even by providing the affected farmers with necessary requirements to carry on with their farming uninterrupted. When in my village once Saline water entered the paddy fields, he personally came to inspect the affected paddy fields by interacting with the “Kaxtticar” farmers to the chagrin of Bamon Bhattkarshai.  His wish was to elevate the standard of "Bahujan Samaz" and in this direction he was moving speedily.

During this time itself when Goa was doing all round progress, according to my source, Nehru got the smell that Goa is progressing at a fastest pace and if India wants to acquire Goa, this will be the only ripe time when Goa was still  progressing.  If India delays invasion of Goa for later on then even ordinary Goan would oppose invasion because by that time even the last strata of Goan would be developed and would not like to be a part of corrupt and filthy country India under the corrupt Indian leaders.  Hence the military invasion of Goa started on 17^th December and at that particular moment on 18th December 1961, UN discussed this topic and commanded India not to move an inch further into Goa till this topic is discussed and settled amicably.  In the ensuing Security Council Vote, 7 countries including US, UK, France, China voted against invasion of Goa but Russia, Ceylon and other two tiny countries voted in favour of invasion of Goa.  Since Russia wielded Veto power, the resolution went in favour of invasion.  Thus Goa was hurriedly robbed from Goans by India to convert it into a colony of India  or a brothel of India or a part of Maharastra since the big stalwarts of Congress Party in Maharastra were keeping their eyes on Goa, Y. B. Chawan and V.P. Naik were two of them.  As a punishment for Nehru’s Congress for illegally invading Goa without taking Goans into confidence, in the first general election, Congress Party of Nehru was totally voted out by the Goans.  Such a humiliating defeat Congress never got anywhere in India.

If Goa is saved till today, we must thank Governador Vassalo e Silva for not executing Salazar’s order of destroying Goa fully to the ashes instead of giving Goa on silver platter to India.  If Goa is intact till today, we must pray for Vassalo e Silva and also the then Portuguese Patriarch of Goa who impressed upon Vassalo e Silva not to follow the diktats of Portuguese dictator Salazar. It was their Christian principles that made them to act the way they acted.  This is the greatness of Christianity. Thru their decision they saved not only minority Christians but also majority Hindus.  A few days before the invasion of Goa, the way Bombs were implanted all over Goa by the Portuguese it was really horrible. May the Christian souls of both these Portuguese stalwarts rest in peace.   

Like Goa, Pondichery in South India was also colonized not by the Portuguese but by the French and it was given freedom not in 1947 but in 1954.  It took many years after independence in 1947 for India to claim possession of Pondichery from France officially and legally.  At the time of surrender of Pondichery to India in a treaty and agreement signed by the French Foreign Minister and Nehru of India, a number of Clauses were put by the French government to safeguard the rights of the citizens of Pondichery and all these clauses were accepted by the same Nehru who promised mountains to Goans but none given.  It took long years of negotiations for India and France to agree on these clauses and then only France agreed to hand over Pondichery to India.  While Pondicherians were given all the rights and facilities to safeguards their interest by Nehru, Goans were totally neglected because Goa is a precious place for India.  For this reason India robbed Goa in the name of fake lliberation.

Take the case of Macao, another colony of Portugal.  When it was given to China by the Portuguese government, both the countries Portugal and China negotiated for long years the clauses for transfer of power.  Like Pondicherians, Macao citizens were also given lot of facilities and rights.  It is almost like an independent country now except that its sovereignty comes under China.  There is no high command in Beijing for Macao, all the decisions are taken in Macao only. And to get all these facilities, Portuguese government worked hard to convince China to agree. 

While Portugal at the time of transfer of power of Macao to China protected the rights of Macao citizens, the same assurance was not given to Goans at the time of officially  and legally handing over Goa to India in 1974.  Before the transfer of Macao to China, Portugese took Macao citizens into confidence and then only transferred the power to China.  But at the time of negotiating of officially transferring of power of Goa to India in New York in 1974, only the two persons – foreign ministers of India and Portugal – decided what is good and what is bad for Goans without even consulting Goans.  Mario Soares was the foreign minister of Portugal and it was he who gave Goa on silver platter to India on behalf of Portugal.  When the final agreement was signed in the same year in Delhi by both the leaders,  there was nothing for Goans thus Portugal also robbed Goans of their rights and previlleges and because of this we are now suffering in Goa as orphans.

India does not care for our rights and sentiments. Special Status will never be given to Goa inspite of the lies given by Modi and Parricar.  In the next election in 1922 there is a possibility of non-Goans to form government in Goa because majority of residents in Goa will be non-Goans then and because of their harsh and cruel nature they will even massacre Goans if we do not toe their line, just as Jews did  for Palestinians in the occupied Palestine.  Our situation will be very pitiable. Our freedom fighters who suffered so much to get rid of Portuguese from Goa will never be able to help us.  They are dead issue now only. We have to forget them to do anything good for Goa and Goans.  They are happy with their Tamrapatras and Pensions that Indian government gave them.

In this scenario, is everything lost for us? No, never. With some hope, we have to tell our woes to the current generation and see if we can get a new leadership from them to fight peacefully for our rights, if necessary by approaching even UN, if possible. UN Charter gives certain facilities to the indigenous people who are facing a disguised genocide in Goa. Global Goans can think over this issue because they are in better position to make their voice more audible.  If possible we must conduct a hunger strike in front of Portuguese Consulate in Panjim to make Portugal aware of our sentiments and of the  mistake they did by ignoring us at the time of transferring of power of Goa to India.  Side by side, we must conduct peaceful “dharna” in Delhi to make Delhi “babus” aware of our grievances because our case is totally different. We were not Indian citizens till 1961/62 but we were made Indian citizens by force by Indian “dadageri”. By doing this much we may not get anything but by sleeping at home will we get something?     

 

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel: 6507394349.